Category: Blog

The Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust (FCFCT) is pleased to be joining forces with the charity, Fishing into the Future (FITF) through a transition period from 2020 to 2022.  

FITF is a UK registered charity, formed by a strategic partnership between: the Prince of Wales’ Charities ‘International Sustainability Unit’ (ISU); industry body, Sea Fish Authority (Seafish); and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). Since becoming established in 2015, the charity has maintained a Board Membership of two-thirds active fishermen. FITF value fishermen as key assets in ensuring the long-term health of fisheries and heavily endorse co-management as a principle of good fisheries management. FITF help to resolve the ‘cultural barriers’ to co-management by connecting and empowering stakeholders through a creative and innovative education and leadership programme. 

Using our trusted networks, FITF and the FCFCT will work together with fishermen, scientists, government, and seafood businesses to help build a transdisciplinary approach to fishery management that emphasises the need for collaborative problem‐solving among stakeholders. As two neutral and independent organisations, we are trusted facilitators within the seafood industry and have the freedom to develop innovative solutions. 

With financial support from the FCFCT and additional resource capacity from one of the FCFCT’s Programme Managers, Alison Freeman, our collective aim is to build upon the FITF education programmes and improve access to the tools, information and training needed to bolster the fishing industry and coastal economies. A priority going forward will be to develop a supportive alumni network, which will offer ongoing support and training to the attendees of FITF initiatives. Under the new direction, we will also plan to use FITF to support regional and gear/species-specific meetings, workshops, and symposiums. We would also like to explore radical opportunities for participation in co-management and would like to embed the FITF curriculum into early career development programmes. 

Improving regular communication between stakeholders will also be fundamental if we are to help tackle the trust issues that exist in the industry. Our intention is to therefore devise and deliver sustainable solutions to help communication pathways. Current restrictions will, in the interim, focus the FITF portfolio on building relationships and knowledge remotely through an online portal and series of webinars.  

Fishing is an often dangerous and financially precarious occupation. For almost 140 years the Fishermen’s Mission have provided financial and pastoral support for the UK’s fishermen and their families. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic they have provided invaluable support for fishers across the country.

Now, Jack Gatacre wants to give something back. In honour, of his girlfriend’s father, a retired fisherman from Pittenweem, Fife, he is kayaking almost 700 miles around the southern half of Scotland to raise money for the Fishermen’s Mission.

Starting on the 1st of August in the fishing village of Pittenweem in Fife, Jack will travel past Edinburgh along the Firth of Forth, then taking the Forth & Clyde canal past Glasgow, into the Clyde and then round the Mull of Kintyre, Arran, Jura, Mull, Fort William and into the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness before returning to the North Sea at Inverness passing Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews.

To help Jack on his fundraising mission the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust have provided grant funding to enable him to purchase essential equipment for the gruelling trip and support him in raising as much money as possible for the Fishermen’s Mission.

I am very grateful to the Fishmongers’ Company for their great support in my charitable lap of Scotland for the Fishermen’s Mission. Firstly the Company has very generously already given me a grant towards the cost of the trip. I have spent this money on very useful and costly safety items including a VHF radio, personal locator beacon, , top of the range tent and bivy, modern buoyancy aid and wetsuit. Our aims are aligned: raising as much money as possible for the Fishermen’s Mission and having an enjoyable and safe expedition to attract charitable funds.

Jack outlining his gratitude for the support shown by the Company

To sponsor Jack and provide the Fishermen’s Mission with much needed funds, click here.

The next steps for the ambitious and collaborative, project which aims to improve how the UK’s inshore fisheries are managed have been published.

The Future of Our Inshore Fisheries steering group, of which the Company is a member, has released both a report, detailing discussions from last year’s two-day conference and an action plan, which sets out the first stage of practical actions to reform the management of UK inshore fisheries. At the heart of the project is the desire to establish an effective inshore fisheries management system that can deliver a viable and profitable inshore fishing industry that supports flourishing coastal communities. 

The two-day Future of Our Inshore Fisheries conference, which took place in October 2019, brought almost 180 representatives together to discuss the challenges faced by UK inshore fishermen. Participants included sixty active fishermen together with industry leaders, policy makers, regulators, researchers and representatives from environmental groups.  Conference attendees heard examples of fisheries management solutions and best practice from around the world and considered their relevance to the UK’s inshore fisheries. Seen as the first milestone in the delivery of the project, the conference set out to ensure that the vital expertise and experience of active inshore fishermen set the priorities for the project’s next phase and inform its upcoming work.

The Future of Our Inshore Fisheries conference report details the conference presentations, the findings from group discussion sessions and the results of live polling. While the report does not make specific recommendations, it does outline the key themes which emerged and captures the priority areas identified by participants. The report concludes by recognising that the scale of change which is wanted and needed is significant, and that developing and implementing solutions will take time. 

Based on the report’s findings, the steering group has identified five themes that will shape future work: co-management; collaborative science; credible fisheries management; rights and access; and effective compliance. The action plan is the first attempt to set out clear, deliverable actions across these themes that will be progressed over the next 12 – 18 months.

Steering group member Barrie Deas, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation said: 

The conference report is rich in energy, information and insight, informed by the participation of active fishermen. But it is of course not an end in itself; I doubt that we would have seen the engagement from fishermen across the country if our ambition was limited to producing a report.

I particularly welcome the publication of the action plan. Importantly, it builds on the conference outcomes and takes into account the priorities that conference attendees set.

We should be ambitious in wanting a fisheries management system that is truly sustainable, and which not only meets our environmental objectives but is also capable of meeting our social and economic needs at a national, regional and local level.”

Fishing is widely considered as one of the most dangerous professions in the UK, meaning that caring for the welfare of those who go out to sea is vital for the industry. The Fishmongers’ Company has a long-running relationship with the Fishermen’s Mission, who for almost 140 years have provided practical and pastoral support for active and retired fishermen.

As part of the Fish & Fisheries grants programme, the Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust has provided financial support for the Fishermen’s Mission Welfare Outreach Programme which takes a holistic approach tackling issues around social exclusion, access to financial support and primary healthcare as well as emergency support following on-board accidents and incidents at sea.

As well as providing emotional support the UK wide programme has facilitated 611 emergency grants from various organistations in the last year, helping fishermen cope with financial crises which could result in homelessness or County Court Judgements.

One such example is Pete, who lives near Mudeford Quay in Dorset. Pete fishes for lobster, crabs, cuttlefish and bass and has been a RNLI volunteer for nearly 30 years. Last year, an accident at sea left Pete with a serious head injury and over £30,000 worth of damage to his boat, outstripping its insurance value. With Pete unable to work and trying to cope with the psychological trauma of the accident, the family were soon struggling to pay for food, utilities and rent. As the fear of homelessness grew, the mental health of Pete and his wife began to suffer.

On learning of Pete’s accident, Nick, Fishermen’s Mission Superintendent for the South Coast Outreach Programme, offered his support. Within days Nick had facilitated a grant to cover the family’s rent arrears and provided supermarket food vouchers whilst offering emotional and pastoral support. This support has helped Pete get back to work and selling his catch whilst being able to enjoy time with his family.

The Mission have also implemented a crisis intervention and personalized practical help project, signposting fishermen towards specialist agencies tackling a variety of welfare issues including debt, alcohol, benefits/employment issues as well as mental health, bereavement and family difficulties. In doing so the Mission have prevented countless crisis situations from occurring, as at-risk fishermen benefit from improved mental health, life management and financial independence. 

The Fishermen’s Mission also provide warm and safe welfare centres for UK and foreign fishermen working off the UK’s coastline promoting cohesive communities in our coastal towns, improving communications and inter-personal skills, encouraging friendships and making people more willing to alert staff of issues facing the community.

A prosperous and sustainable fishing industry is dependent on the health and welfare of its fishermen. The Fishmongers’ Company is proud to support the Fishermen’s Mission in caring for the UK’s fleet.

Six active fishermen have joined the steering group of the Future of Our Inshore Fisheries project at a meeting held at Fishmongers’ Hall on 23 January.

The group – who all attended the milestone Future of Our Inshore Fisheries conference in October last year – will play a key role in determining the next steps of the ambitious project, which aims to ensure that inshore fisheries, the marine environment and coastal communities are sustainable and thriving.

Alasdair Hughson (Kyleakin), Ned Clark (North Shields), Aubrey Banfield (Dorset), Joel Dunn (Plymouth), Brackan Pearce (Newlyn) and Len Walters (Cardigan) will attend the group on a rota basis, with at least two attending each meeting, ensuring representation from active fishermen but reducing the number of days at sea lost by any one individual.

The Fishmongers’ Company forms part of the steering group that includes representatives from several fishermen’s representative bodies including National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) and the Coastal Producers Organisation (CPO). Others represented on the steering group include DEFRA, DAERA, the Marine Management Organisation, CEFAS and the Association of IFCAs. The steering group is chaired by Michel Kaiser, Professor of Fisheries Conservation at Heriot Watt University, and facilitated by Seafish.

Commenting on the appointments Professor Kaiser said:

“This project has been led by the industry from the start and relies on the involvement, expertise and experience of active fishermen. We had excellent representation from fishermen at the Future of Our Inshore Fisheries conference last year and we are delighted that Alasdair, Ned, Aubrey, Joel, Brackan and Len have stepped into a leadership role to help to shape this next critical phase.”

Set-up in January 2019, the Future of Our Inshore Fisheries project aims to establish a blueprint for a collaborative management approach which will ensure that both inshore fisheries and coastal communities are sustainable and thriving into the future.

Almost sixty active fishermen attended the Future of Our Inshore Fisheries conference in October 2019 – thanks in part to bursaries provided by companies and organisations from throughout the seafood supply chain – to discuss relevant issues with policy makers, regulators, industry leaders, researchers and the environmental community. On the agenda for discussion at the first steering group of 2020 was the draft report which captures the views expressed at the conference and the common themes as well as determining an action plan of next steps. The steering group will provide an update in the near future.